Velocipede



(No Model.) 3 Sheets--Sl1eet 1.

E. WORMS & s. ZWIERZGHOWSKI. VELOGIPBDE.

No. 451,588. Patented May 5,1891.-

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E. WORMS & A. S. ZWIERZCHOWSKI.

4 VELOOIPEDE.

No. 451,588. Pater lt-ed May 5, 1891.

With/a 550s.

* NW M (No Model.) 3 Sheets=-Sheet 3.

E. WORMS 82; AS. ZWIERZGHOWSKI.

I VELOOIPEDE. v No. 451,588. Patented May 5,1891.

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To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE WORMS AND, ALEXANDER SIGISMOND ZWIERZCHOWSKI, or

PARIS, FRANCE.

VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,588, dated May '5, 1891.

Application filed November 24,1890. Serial No. 372,397- (No model.) Patented in France October 2, 1890, No. 208,612, and in England October 31, 1890, No. 17,454.

Be it known that we, EUGENE WoRivis and ALEXANDER. SIGISMOND ZWIERZCHOVVSKI, both citizens of the French Republic and residents of Paris, France,have invented certain Improvements in Bicycles and other Velocipedes, (for which patents havebeen granted in France, No. 208,612, dated October 2, 1890, and in' Great Britain,No. 17,454, dated Ooto ber 31, 1890,) of which the following is a specification. 7

Our invention relates in. part to a novel construction of the ball-bearings, in part to a novel arrangement and construction of -the saddle-support, and in part to an. improved construction and arrangement of the brake.

The invention will be'fully described hereinafter, and its novel features carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate our invention, we have shown it applied to a bicycle.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, and Fig. '2 a front elevation, of the bicycle on a comparatively small scale. Fig. 3 is avertical section on a much larger scale, taken through the wheel-hub and gearing in the plane of the wheel-axis. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are fragmentary sectional views, also on alarge scale. These will be hereinafter described.

R represents the main wheel of an ordinary bicycle. D is the curved backbone or frame, and R is the smaller trailing-wheel. N is the tubular upright sleeve secured to the curved frame 0, in which sleeve is mounted the stem I of the fork J. On the stem I is fixed the handle-bar R, provided with handles S. These are substantially like the ordinary features of a bicycle.

lVe will first describe the gearing whereby the wheel R is driven at a speed different from that of the pedal-shaft.

Referring especially to Figs. 3- and 4 for illustration, A is the pedal-shaft, and P are the pedals thereon. These latter may be of the usual kind. larger wheel R is mounted on the pedal-shaft, but it is notfixed thereto, as in the most common constructions. On the axle A is secured a toothed wheel B, the teeth of which gear The hub or'nave R of thev with those ofa pinion C, rotatively mounted on a stud E, set in the inner face of the branch of the fork J on that side of the wheel R. Fixed to or integral with the pinion O is a toothed wheel D, the teeth of which gear with those of a pinion F fixed on the hub of the wheel R. As the pinions C and F have a less number .of teeth than the respective gearwheels B and D, it follows that when the pedal-shaft A is rotated by the riderit will impart to thewheel R through said gearing an axial velocity greater than that imparted to said shaft by the rider.

' All of the rotating parts (see Fig. 3) have ball-bearings, and while such ball-bearings are, per se, well known, our construction presents some novel features. On the lower ends of the respective branches of the fork J are mounted rings K K, the attachment being by means of a screw-threaded'stem i on the ring, which is passed up through the end of the branch and secured firmly thereto by a nut. These rings are screw-threaded internally, and into them are screwed, respect ively, theouterbaljl-boxes H 11. These boxes may be screwed in or out for adjustment, and when adjusted they may be fixed each by a set-screw b.

Fig. 4 is an inner face view of the ring K, with the box H, and balls or therein. The box may have longitudinal grooves m in its screw-threaded periphery to receive the point of the set-screw, as seen in Fig. 4.

'Secured firmly'on the shaft A are collars G,

and G, which serve as abutments, respectively, for the balls in the boxes H and H. The hub of the wheel B is made to serve as the collar G. The hubof the wheel R is slipped onto the pedal axle from the right, as seen in Fig. .3, and when it-is in place the balls at at the-left are embraced betweena collar 1 on the pedal axle or shaft A and a ball-box H of annular form, screwed into that end of the wheel-hub. At the other or right-handend of the wheel-hub the balls a are embraced between the collar G and a ball-box H screwed into that end of the hub. At the lefthand end of the hub, the box H is exterior to the balls, while at the other end the balls are exterior to the box 11 The integral wheels 0 and D are also mounted in ball-bearings on the stud E in a manner similar to that described. With this system of ball-boxes a ring is dispensed with and the balls are completely housed, which insures very easy rolling with very little wear and friction.

We will now describe the construction and arrangement of the saddle-mounting, with especial reference to Fig. 1, where the saddle is represented in two positions. Ordinarily the saddle of a bicycle is mounted 011 the arched frame 0; but in our bicycle it is mounted on the sleeve N through the medium of a bracket N thereon and a set-screw. M is the saddle-bracket, which is inthe nature of abarbent until its two branches stand about at right angles, as shown. The vertical branch of this bracket fits in a socket in the bracket N, and when adjusted therein it may be fixed by the sct-screw, and the horizontal branch of said bracket M passes through a sleeve or eye g on a base-plate Q, in which sleeve it is secured by a set-screw. The plate Q, supports the saddle proper Q on coil-springs, which are housed in telescoping sockets c, the lower sections of which are mounted on the plate Q, and the upper sections to thesaddle-frame. One of the tele scoping sockets is represented in section in Fig. 1. An advantage due to this construction is this: If a spring should give way the saddle would still be supported by the sockets. By turning the horizontal branch of the bracket M in the sleeve q, the vertical branch may be passed upward through the bracket N as seen in dotted linesin Fig. 1. This construction permits considerable latitude in the vertical adjustment of the saddle.

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the construction of the brake device, the former being a sectional view of the lower part ofthe sleeve N and adjacent parts, and the latter a longitudinal section of one of the handles S on the handle-bar. f is the brake-shoe, pivotally mounted at d, and coupled to an operating-wire e, which passes up through the tubularstem Land out through one of thetubular arms of the handle-bar R, to a nut g (see Fig. 6) in the handle S. Thisnut traverses a long pitched screw 71. fixed at one end to the handle S, which latter is adapted to be turned by the hand on the handle-bar. The rider thus enabled to set the brake by merely rotating the handle S axiallywith his hand. The handle may be fixed on the handle-bar by a set-screw 'v, if required. This set-screw is driven through the ferrule 7: of the handle, as seen in Fig. (5.

Having thus described our invention, we clain1- l. The combination, with the axle provided with a removable collar G and a shoulder I, of the wheel-hub R, ball-boxes II? and ll", screwed into the respective ends of the said hub, and the balls o embraced between the respective boxes and the shoulders on the axle, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the fork J and the shaft A, of the internally-screw-threaded rin gs K and K, secured to the respective branches of the fork, the ball-boxes II and II, screwed into the respective rings, the collars G and G on the shaft A, and the balls in the respective ball-boxes, substantially as set forth.

The combination,with the upright sleeve N of a velocipede, of the bracket N, secured thereto and provided with a socket to receive the saddle-bracket M and with a set screw, the said saddle-bracket having two branches which stand substantially at right angles with each other, and the saddle mounted on the horizontal branch of said bracket ill, substantially as set forth.

L The combination, with the saddle and its supporting-springs, of the telescopic casings c,whic'h house said springs, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the tubular stem I, the tubular handle-bar R, and the handles S, mounted rotatively on said bar and bearing a screw it in its interior, of the brake-shoef and its spring, the nut g on the screw h, and the wire c, connecting the brake-shoe with said nut, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE WORMS. ALEXANDER SIGISMOND ZWIERZCHOWSKI.

Witnesses for Eugene Norms:

ROBT. M. Hoornn, AUGUSTE MATHIEU. Witnesses for Alexander S. Zwicrzchowski:

HENRY CONNETT, J. D. CAPLINGER. 

